The World's 18 Strangest Hotels

The first thing every hotel developer considers before construction is "who is the guest, and why are they here," says Jake Bush, a hotel architect and developer at Braun & Steidl. Accommodations must be tailored to the needs of the traveler; an overnight business trip doesn't require the same amenities as a two-week luxury vacation. Similarly, to the more daring traveler, the flower-quilted double bed and lacquered furniture of a typical hotel room is just plain boring. For the intrepid, quirky and adventurous globetrotter, here are the world's 18 strangest hotels.

The Mirrorcube

The Mirrorcube

Where: Harads, Sweden

What It Is: A lightweight aluminum 4 x 4 x 4–meter box suspended around a tree trunk and covered in mirrors. Accommodates two people at a time, with a double bed, a small bathroom, a living room and a roof terrace. Access to the cabin is by a rope bridge connected to the next tree.

Why It's Unique: Camouflaged within the tree canopy, the one-way mirrors provide a 360-degree view of the surroundings. To prevent birds from colliding with the reflective glass, an ultraviolet color visible only to birds is laminated onto the glass.

ICEHOTEL

ICEHOTEL

What It Is: ICEHOTEL is the world's largest hotel made from snow and ice. Guests can sleep in a bed made of snow and ice (like most of the other furniture), at temperatures around minus 5 degrees C.

Why It's Unique: The entire building melts and gets reconstructed every year. Each November, a team of architects rebuilds the rooms, bar and chapel from several hundred tons of ice. If your ideal vacation consists of walking around in snow pants and fur, ICEHOTEL is worth a repeat visit—it is, after all, a different hotel every year.